Tag Archives: Boy

So, I’m going to come right out and say it. Boy fashion rarely changes from year to year. I know! It upsets me, too! I have been dressing my little boy for five years, and some of the fashions that he was rocking as a tiny baby are some of the same looks that he will be seen in today. I have heard moms mope over the fact that dressing a little boy is not as fun as dressing a little girl, and while I have to agree (boys don’t generally wear hair clips and dresses and skirts, which have the tendency to mix up a gal’s wardrobe a bit), I also would like to put it “out there” that dressing your little boy does not have to be boring.

Checking out some of the current trends for boys, I am seeing a lot of the same things I saw last fall, which is good news for the pocketbook—provided he still fits into some of his older things. Fall still means dark colors like blacks, browns, navy, army green, and reds. But a lot of what I have seen sort of tends toward an “outdoorsy” kind of look, with layering built in to the outfit to accommodate any kind of weather.

In jackets, I have seen a bunch of military-inspired looks. Military jackets with lots of pockets are a great option for the cooler days of fall. I have also seen corduroy pilot jackets, which would look awesome with some aviator sunglasses leftover from summer. Down vests are also a great option for fall, because they not only add a layer of warmth, but can showcase some of the great top options that are out there.

In shirts, I have seen short sleeves layered over long sleeves. This look can be of the genuine variety… thermals and long sleeve tees under short sleeve tees or polos, or of the “faux” variety, with the longer sewn-in sleeve peeking out from under a shorter sleeve. I would recommend the real thing for when the weather gets really cold, and save the faux variety for these days when it’s cooler in the morning and hotter in the afternoon. Hooded sweatshirts and cardigan sweaters are more great options for a layer that is easy to take off later in the day. If you’re looking for some totally on-trend designs, look for plenty of monsters, rock and roll, skulls and outdoor themes, and look no further than BabyLegs for all of those! Use a pair of BabyLegs as arm warmers to create that longer sleeve under shorter sleeve look. Or wear a pair over the sleeves of a long sleeve t-shirt or thermal to add a touch of style. If the weather heats up or cools off, kids can take them off or put them on. Babylegs are the perfect accessory for fall outfits!

Looking to dress up his look a bit? One of my favorite looks is a button-up shirt left untucked and made polished with the addition of a tie. We add a pair of jeans, a wool pea coat, and clean sneakers to finish off the look.

In the realm of pants, he can’t go wrong with corduroys, khakis, or dark rinse jeans in plain front, carpenter and cargo styles. Almost any color works for fall, including khaki, navy, black, and army green. Mix up the colors he wears on top and bottom, and tie them together with the addition of funky socks. You can pull an outfit together using his striped BabyLegs socks for inspiration!

Another really fun look that starts in fall and runs through winter is a hat. There are the outdoor, fleece variety that will be seen in the shapes of animals and dinosaurs, as well as the traditional knit hat in stripes and solids. He might want to even bring the outdoors in by wearing a knit hat with a brim, a newsboy cap in herringbone twill or velvet, or even a fedora! Underneath the cap, boys hairstyles are trending toward that Justin Beiber-ish tousled look, but longer, sloppier, and more surfer- or skater-cool.

For shoes, be on the lookout for casual silhouettes that include boat shoes, deck shoes, sneakers that look like hiking boots, and canvas slip-ons. Dressy styles are tending toward that same shiny, tie up look, as well as the shinier leather slip-ons. Boots are a big trend this year, and come in myriad styles. Sneakers are seen in skater styles, with bold stripes on the sides and in high top form. When wearing the high tops, the high part is being rolled down to expose the inside, or if the shoe has a long tongue, the tongue is pulled out to cover the laces.

Bottom line for fall: In kid’s fashion, it is hard to go wrong. You can freely experiment with mixing colors and patterns and prints from head to toe. And if the finished look ends up a little crazy, you can always say that he put it together himself. Layer it on, and get out there to enjoy the cool, refreshing temperatures this fall!

About the blogger:

Hi everyone! My name is Jen, and I have a passion for fashion! I live in super-sunny/super-cloudy Ohio, and have a son AND a daughter, which creates the perfect storm for Babylegs addiction. I hope that you find the perfect pair of Babylegs to complement your little one’s fashions this season, and that you FALL in love with Babylegs like we have.

That is what I thought after an expectant friend said she was worried about breastfeeding. “It’s how we were designed, what’s to worry about,” I thought. With that (vastly incorrect) outlook, I entered motherhood without considering breastfeeding except that it was “best,” “natural,” and I would do it. Oh, what I have learned!

Babies do not always “latch on” and eat – in fact, some, like my son, refuse to latch on but instead scream or, when they finally do latch on, fall asleep.

Babies don’t always wake to eat. After my son did not wake to eat his first night at home and into the morning, I called the nurse, who advised bringing him in. Not only had he developed jaundice in the 17 hours since we left the hospital, he had not eaten. Thus, based on the advice of the lactation consultant, I pumped milk, supplemented with formula, and worked on nursing will also finger-feeding him (use a thin tube attached to a feeding syringe filled with formula or breast milk and tape that tube to the finger, which the baby then sucks on to remove milk from the syringe).

Finger-feeding to avoid nipple confusion is not a guaranteed success. For the first few weeks, we woke our son every two hours to eat, requiring that we finger-feed him because he would not nurse or wake to eat and we were told giving him a bottle would cause nipple confusion. We now joke that instead of nipple confusion, he got “finger confusion.” For the first couple months, he wanted to suck on someone’s finger instead of a pacifier or bottle – fingers were more comforting/familiar to him.

Pumping milk for a baby who won’t nurse is not always possible because the pump does not always stimulate enough milk production.

Working with a lactation consultant is helpful and can work, but doesn’t always. The lactation consult gave us great advice, but it just did not work for our son.

Sometimes breastfeeding does not work, not for lack of trying or desire – some babies just will not breastfeed and some moms are just unable to do so and that is OKAY.

Not nursing when you so badly want to is a tough decision and can cause guilt. I was disappointed, felt guilty for giving up and being unprepared, and often wished I had tried longer. But, after a few weeks of waking my son every two hours, spending twenty minutes unsuccessfully trying to get him to nurse, then finger feeding him, then pumping what (very little) milk I could get so that I could feed him that, with formula, at the next feeding, then starting all over again thirty-forty minutes later plus fitting in trips to the lactation consultant and doctor, I reached my breaking point and, sobbingly, told my husband I could not do this anymore and wanted to just formula feed. He was supportive and we still had to wake our son regularly to eat for a short time, but he had a bottle and life was easier for all of us.

Just because one baby won’t nurse, does not mean others won’t. I talked to other moms who had a child who would not nurse and then had other children who nursed just fine. So, when I was pregnant with Baby #2, I decided I wanted to try nursing again after. I prepared myself better this time, but didn’t need to – she latched on twenty minutes after birth, nursed great, and is still nursing twice a day at twenty months. I was also able to return to work and pump three times a day while away from her until she was one, providing her with plenty of milk despite having been unable to pump more than a ½ ounce at a time with my son. Friends, colleagues and even family eye me suspiciously when I say she is still nursing or ask, “When are you going to wean her?” But, I am in no hurry to wean her yet. She seems to nurse less and less each day though and will, I think, wean herself before long.

Overall, breastfeeding is a wonderful experience and I would encourage anyone who wants to do so and can to breastfeed – but, it is not always easy and it does not always work and that is okay.

On a side note: our son, who would not wake to eat and when awake, often refused to eat, is now five and still does not like to eat – never has. Meals are always a battle and he would choose to go all day without eating if we let him. He is healthy and in the 75th percentile on the charts, he just does not like food (except fruit snacks and suckers). I maintain that this was the problem from day one – it wasn’t that he couldn’t nurse – he just didn’t like to eat.

Shawna’s beautiful daughter and son!

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About the Blogger:

Hi! I’m Shawna. I am a married, working mom of two — one boy, one girl, who I love more than I could have every imagined. Parenting has not always been easy for me and my children throw plenty of unexpected surprises, but I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

It’s still cold outside, but here at BabyLegs, things are warming up! Our new Spring 2011 is available now, including the Cool! line of BabyLegs with UV protection. Spring’s collections include Secret Garden, Bake Shop, Boys World, Candy Land, Seaside, and Cool! Kids, along with all of the Classic Favorites!

Fluttering Butterflies

Hungry Alligators

Pixie Stick

Crab

Make fun in the sun a little safer with the Cool! Kids collection of warmers. With breathable fabrics and 50+ UPF protection, wet or dry, their little arms and legs will be protected from harmful UV rays while staying cool.

Shades- Cool!

Hibiscus- Cool!

Go to www.babylegs.com today to view the full Spring/Summer 2011 line and shop for your favorites!

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